Mail-bag fastener



(No Model.)

P. W. HOFELE. MAIL BAG PASTENBR.

No. 424,419. Patented Mar. 25, 1890 WITNESSES:

lA/I/E/VTOR M PETERS, PMIo-Ulhogmphar, Washington. D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND XV. HOFELE, OF NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ETI-IEL LOUISE ALLEN, OF PAVVLING, NEV YORK,

MAlL-BAG FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,419, dated March 25, 1890.

Application filed May 1, 1889. Serial No. 309,295. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FERDINAND W. HoEELE, of the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Bag Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of devices which are used for closing or fastening the mouths of mail -bags, pouches, and similar receptacles, the object being to provide a speedy and convenient means for closing the mouth of mail-bags, pouches, and sacks and for facilitating the opening of the same.

The invention consists in the peculiar arrangement of serrated and spring-actuated jaws that are pivoted in opposite directions to each other to a central partition of a metallic case, the handles of the jaws projecting through a top opening of the case, while the cords or straps pass at opposite sides of the partition and in opposite directions to each other through openings at the ends of the case to the outside.

The invention consists, secondly, of slotted ears made integral with the case and adapted to support a detachable flexible label-plate for indicating the direction of the mail-bag.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side view of a mailbag with my improved fastener attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view of the fastener on a larger scale; Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section of the same, and Fig. 4 a plan with parts broken away.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A in the drawings represents an oblong case, which is made of cast metal or stamped of suitable sheet metal. The case A is riveted to the rear plates A and attached in a I suitable manner to the mouth of the mail-bag or other article in connection with which the fastener is to be used. The case A is divided by a longitudinal partition-plate a into two compartments, in which are arranged serrated jaws B B, one on each side of the partition, that are pivoted to separate transverse pins 11 b of the case A. The jaws B B are arranged in opposite directions to each other and acted upon by springs 13 that are placed around the pivots Z2. The handles B B of the jaws v ing the handles toward each other the jaws are lifted against the pressure of their springs. The cords C O of the mail-bag which is to be locked by the fastener are passed in opposite directions to each other through the case Aone at one side, the other at the other side, of the partition a-the cords entering and leaving the case by end openings m as shown clearly in Fig. 3. By the described disposition of the cords and jaws the mail-bag can be quickly and conveniently closed by simply pulling the cords in opposite direction through the fastener in the same manner as when the .mouth of the tobacco or other bag is closed by its strings. I At the moment when the cords are released they are locked in position by the jaws, which exert their full force. As the cords are guided independently of each other and pulled in opposite directions, they are not liable to get twisted one around the other, so as to prevent proper working of the fastener until the cords have been separated from each other, as has been the case in fasteners heretofore in use. Moreover, when the cords move in opposite directions the bag can be closed more conveniently and tightly than when the cords run in the same direction, as the operator, grasping one cord in one hand and the other cord in the other hand, can ap ply his strength easily in opposite directions, and the bag will pucker uniformly on opposite sides of the lock, and thereby close more closely. I When it is desired to open the mail-bag, all that is required is to press the handles together, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, whereby the jaws are raised and released from the cords, so that the bag opens autom atically by the tension of its contents on the cords. Owing to the opposed positions of the clamps, the handles can be grasped between the thumb and fingerand released with greater facility than the bag fasteners in which the jaws are both released in the same direction.

The front of the case A is provided at the top and side edges with projecting and slotted ears cl cl, which are made integral with the case either by casting or stamping. These IOG slotted ears d d serve for supporting a metallic flexible label-plate D, that is attached by projecting lugs cl to the case A.

The label-plate D is marked with the name of the place to which the bag is destined to be sent. The fastening device serves thereby also as a direction-tag, so that the separate Wooden or other tags heretofore in use for this purpose can be dispensed with.

The lugs on the label-plate and the slotted ears on the case serve to lock the label-plate in position and prevent accidental detach- 1nent.-

I am aware that mail-bag fasteners made of a two-part case having end openings for the cords and a top opening for the jaw-levers have been used heretofore, and I do not, broad- 4 1y, claim these fasteners.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by. Letters Patent The combination of a bag, a cord for 010s ing said bag, a fastener-case attached to said bag, provided with a longitudinal partition, a top opening and end openings, and springactuated pivoted jaws disposed in opposite directions in said case on opposite sides of said partition and provided with handles projecting through the top opening thereof and normally inclined in opposite directions toward the ends of said case, said cord extending horizontally in opposite directions through said case from end to end thereof on opposite sides of said partition and being engaged by said jaws, one of the free ends of the cord projecting from the case at one end thereof and the other free end projecting from the case at the opposite end thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in pres- 40 once of two subscribing witnesses.

FERDINAND W. HOFELE.

Witnesses:

M. REIMHERR, JOHN A. STRALEY. 

